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‘Star Wars’ sports impressive visuals

“Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’

Platforms: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 2 and 3, Nintendo Wii

Genre: Action/Adventure

Developer: LucasArts

Publisher: LucasArts

Web site: www.lucasarts.com

Price: $39.99 to $59.99

Rating: Teen

3.5 stars (out of 5)

If “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” were rated by special effects alone, the sci-fi adventure would garner unanimous praise by video game reviewers. As with the iconic feature films, not everyone will find substance underneath the style. But it sure is a fun ride.

“Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” takes place between “Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” and “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.” You play as a light-saber-wielding apprentice to Darth Vader himself, but as you unravel more of the story, key players and locations, you might choose to become a noble Jedi Knight instead of an evil Sith.

Along with its stunning wide-screen, high-definition graphics on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3, the game excels in how you use your learned Force powers. Specifically, the developers at LucasArts did an extraordinarily good job in making you feel powerful with superhuman abilities, such as moving huge objects without touching them or emitting damaging lightning blasts through your fingertips. You can also combine these powers for dramatic effect, such as using a Force grip on someone’s neck, lifting him in the air and then zapping him silly before tossing him into a tree.

These awesome maneuvers are possible because of two new technologies used together for the first time in a video game: Pixelux Entertainment’s Digital Molecular Matter and NaturalMotion’s Euphoria. DMM makes the physical properties of items in the game environment act as they should in real life, such as the force of gravity on a rolling boulder or tall plants that sway as you walk through them. Euphoria, a “behavioral-simulation engine,” enables characters to adapt behaviors and movements on the fly, based on events in the game. “The Force Unleashed” also uses the Havok physics system for added authenticity.

The game begins on the Wookiee home world of Kashyyyk, as seen in “Episode III,” but also takes you to the junk planet of Raxus, the floral world of Felucia, a TIE fighter construction facility and more. You will meet and interact with new characters designed for the game as well as familiar faces from the films (in fact, you get to play as Darth Vader, too). Along with learning new Force powers, you will also unlock new light-saber moves to use against giant creatures, storm troopers, Wookiees, rebel soldiers and more. Defeating boss characters involves a “God of War”-style timing game, in which you’re asked to press a specific button on the controller for the character to execute the proper move.

One of the key problems with “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed,” however, is its linearity. You are on a pretty tight leash as you navigate levels and can’t veer too far away from your path. How amazing it would be to have some open-ended levels, such as a “Grand Theft Auto” sandbox game, in which you’re left to explore your surroundings. This drawback can also hurt the game’s replayability.

Other issues are the lack of a multiplayer mode and a PC version of the game, plus the third-person camera can sometimes obscure your view instead of providing a cinematic perspective of the action.

But “Star Wars” fanatics will likely see past these shortcomings - and the gorgeous graphics and impressive physics effects don’t hurt much either. “The Force Unleashed” might not be an “A”-quality title, but it’s certainly a fun dose of interactive entertainment in a galaxy far, far away.